bruna schmitz

I opened the app to discover today’s offerings—selfies, bikini photos, over-exaggerated poses, pets, last night’s party pics—lined up like a never ending train of visual dominoes, same, same, and more of the same. But here’s something, a group photo on Matt Biolos’ Instagram.

“Big Thanks to @xococoho for coming down this morning and spending time with the girls from @shorecliffs_surf club. They were extremely pumped. You, Miss Coco, are a role model.”

Seeing the bright faces and shiny smiles brought me back to being a young surfer myself. I was suddenly transported back to a day when I foolishly bumped rails with Shaun Tomson (while we were both sitting on our boards at Rincon). He could have called me an idiot, but he didn’t. He smiled instead and I was an even bigger fan than before. I’ll never forget the day, just as these young surfers will always remember the morning Coco Ho visited their local break and surfed with them before school.

Role models matter, more so today than ever before. Sexiest this, hottest that, Top 10 lists on every body part imaginable—I can’t imagine what goes through the minds of young kids navigating a world where fame trumps everything else. False heroes with purchased social media followers and brain cell-killing reality shows are talked about ad nauseam while real heroes fly under the radar.

How many followers does your teacher have? Your doctor? Your local librarian? How about your parents or grandparents? While an educated guess would put their Klout scores in the single digits, their real life impact is immeasurable. They instruct, heal, love, and support us. In short, they’re role models and often the most important people in our lives.

While the experiences of the surfing population are as varied as the sand on the beach, there’s no single path that leads one toward becoming a person of influence. However, whether we’re world champions or locals at the nearest beachbreak, it all starts with a warm smile, a word of encouragement, the sharing of a wave. With a good heart and generous spirit, we can all make a positive impact on those around us. Role models still matter—they always will.

Thank you for dropping by for another installment of Surf Photo Friday. Have a great weekend everyone …and as always, thank you for your support of Jettygirl. Also, thank you to Matt Biolos for allowing us to share his photo for this week’s feature.

Above: The photo says it all—100% pure stoke. When you’re floating in the lineup, you see many things that don’t get covered by magazines, aren’t seen in photographs, and aren’t really celebrated at all. A while back one of those special swing waves hit the lineup at Lowers. Kelly Slater was in position for a wave he clearly had his eyes on. The only other person nearby was a tiny little kid who was tentatively angling for the same wave. The World Champ gave the kid a quick nod, the grom quickened his paddling speed and was soon dropping into a beautiful 100-yard right. The moment won’t be recorded in the halls of surf lore, but these small acts of kindness are what turn champions into legends.

Above: In one of my favorite post-heat photos, Brasil’s Bruna Schmitz shares a smile with a couple of young fans.

Above: Courtney Conlogue poses with a group of kids who will no doubt remember the moment for the rest of their lives.

Last November when Kelia Moniz won the ASP Women’s Longboard World Title for the first time, it really didn’t come as a surprise to us. The day before she headed over to China, we had the opportunity to meet up with her and good friends, Megan Godinez, Geodee Clark and Bruna Schmitz. The day started off well enough with perfect offshore peelers, but Kelia and crew got stuck in the worst of LA traffic before we met up. By the time it cleared, the onshore winds had begun to gust and a bit of fog rolled in for good measure. Long story short, our session ended up in tiny dribblers, and it was probably a good send-off for Kelia who took the title in even tinier China surf.

This was the first time we had the opportunity to meet these four surfers and it was fun to watch the contrast of styles. Kelia, of course, can ride a longboard with the graceful skills befitting a world champion. Megan Godinez, riding a board borrowed from Kelia, is such a powerful surfer and it would be incredible to see her in quality waves. The surfer who set up this meeting, Geodee Clark, is an ambassador of aloha and it was great to hear a few stories from her home in Hawaii. Her smile lit up the lineup and although I was somewhat embarrassed by the hideous conditions compared to what she’s used to, she told me over and again that these little waves were really fun. The only non-Hawaiian in the group was Brasil’s Bruna Schmitz. While I’ve had the chance to shoot photos of Bruna in contests, this is the first time I’ve been on the beach while she was freesurfing. She’s such an amazing surfer and in my opinion, very underrated. She wraps turns like few others and we’d love to see her shredding in good surf.

While none of these photos will be gracing a surf magazine cover, it’s these oddball, onshore, ugly days that often end up being the most memorable ones. Watching these four amazing surfers was a gift I’ll remember for quite some time.

When the final autographs had been signed and the tents were beginning to come down, I sat in my car and wrote the following post on Facebook:

“We’ve been in a bit of a funk lately and would have thought a surf contest would be the last place we’d find refreshment. How wrong we were. Watching hundreds of young girls cautiously approach their favorite pro surfers only to be welcomed with graciousness, smiles and thoughtful words was not only heart-warming, but it was extremely inspirational as well. The ear-to-ear smiles, the sparkling eyes of youth, and the skips down the beach clutching a newly autographed hat or piece of paper would have warmed the heart of even the most grumpy, anti-contest surfer.

Hearty congrats to the comp winner, Malia Manuel, and to Supergirl for putting on such an amazing event. From what I saw from my vantage point on the beach, the surfers didn’t only showcase the current state of women’s high performance surfing, they also inspired an entire generation of girl groms who no doubt are dreaming of riding waves of their own one day soon. Very, very well done!”

It’s been a week since the Supergirl Pro wrapped up and I wanted to share a couple of observations from one of the most important contests on the women’s circuit.

The Kids
Like all surf contests, ratings points were at stake, money was up for grabs, and the prized Supergirl cape was going to be awarded to the winner. Indeed, all of those things happened but what I remember most were the kids, the thousands of kids that made this event so special. At the end of each heat they’d be waiting at the water’s edge for a photo, an autograph, or a smile from every single one of the Supergirl competitors. What warmed my heart the most was seeing that this was far from a one-way street as the surfers appeared to enjoy the exchanges as much as the kids did themselves. It’s difficult to sum up in one photo but the image of Bruna Schmitz below does it for me. 100% pure stoke and respect in every direction.

Pictured: Bruna Schmitz shares a moment with two of the thousands of surf-stoked kids in attendance at the Supergirl Pro.

Bethany Hamilton
The debacle that followed the US Open earlier this summer didn’t have anything to do with the surfers or surfing as the mayhem was caused by kooks just looking for trouble. Nevertheless, even after the porta-potties were turned right-side-up and the broken glass was swept from the streets, surfing itself received another black eye in the press and elsewhere. We need heroes, not jerks, and when Bethany Hamilton walked onto the sand at Oceanside for the first time, it was living proof of that fact. The energy she brought to the Supergirl Pro was contagious and her surfing was inspirational, if not mind-blowing. My favorite part of the Bethany story at the Supergirl Pro was when beach announcer David Stanfield asked the crowd, “Who’s here to watch Bethany Hamilton surf?” Hundreds of cheers and hands were raised up and down the beach and as I glanced out to sea I also saw my good friend, the always classic Bec Woods, raise hers as well—while she was still out in her heat.

Pictured: The incredible line to get Bethany Hamilton’s autograph snaked under the pier, up the ramp, back around, and then extended all the way to Pacific Street.

Alessa Quizon
I first saw Alessa Quizon surf at the Rob Machado Seaside Pro Jr. back in 2011 and immediately became a fan of her casual yet progressive style of surfing. She reminded me so much of my good friend, Shea Hodges, also a crazy-good Hawaiian goofyfoot, that I immediately contacted Shea after the event to tell her I saw what looked to be her surfing twin doing the same layback snaps and fins-free surfing that she was doing. Fast forward to the Supergirl Pro and Alessa absolutely blew minds from her first heat onward. She didn’t hold back at all and her surfing throughout the event was on-edge, risky, and go-for-broke (including the flip pictured below that she was very close to pulling). Her luck ran out in the semifinals but it was clear to me that this particular Supergirl doesn’t need a cape to fly.

Pictured: You could feel the entire beach collectively hold its breath as Alessa grabbed, rotated, and pushed women’s performance surfing another leap forward.

Nikki Van Dijk
As radical as Alessa was, halfway through the event I was convinced that Nikki Van Dijk would be one of the surfers on the winner’s podium. While Oceanside Pier delivers punchy peaks much of the year, a big south swell in June created a big deep spot between the inside and outside sections requiring an approach that is typically used in Huntington Beach. After pulling a move or two on the outside, a surfer is forced to either “Huntington Hop”, kick out, or weave cutbacks to make it to the inside section. While many surfers were getting stuck in the deep spot, Nikki weaved effortlessly from section to section with absolutely zero loss of speed before throwing some explosive finishing moves in the shorebreak. Nikki fell just short in the quarterfinals but her last wave with only seconds on the clock was one of the highlights of the event to me. The score was a touch less than she needed but the last ditch effort was a show of high performance heat surfing at its best.

Tatiana Weston-Webb
She lost out in a stacked heat when she came unglued on a late lip blast but make no mistake, Tatiana Weston-Webb is a surfer to watch closely in the very near future. The World Junior Champion throws big hooks both frontside and backside and had it not been for that fall, quite possibly could have found herself on the podium.

Pictured: Throughout the event, Tatiana Weston-Webb, the current World Junior Champion, threw several solid hooks on the outside sandbar.

The South American Contingent
The most enthusiastic crew of surfers at the Supergirl Pro were from South America and it was awesome to see them both on the beach as well as at Marina Zawisza’s Latin America-based surf film, “3 Killas y un Kiwi” which premiered at Linksoul on Friday night. Silvana Lima, Dominic Barona, Anali Gomez, Sofia Mulanovich, Ornella Pellizzari, Rosanny Alvarez, Adriana Cano, and Bruna Schmitz all shredded and it was fun to hear loud cheering throughout the event coming from their stretch of beach.

I should probably leave well enough alone, but Silvana Lima riding a virtually sponsorless board? Come on brands, if you truly are “surf” companies, why not back a surfer who’s one of the best on the planet. Ask any number of people standing on the beach during the Supergirl, in terms of pure progression, Silvana stands atop a very short list of surfers. It’s time one of you takes a stand. A surfer standing up on a board plastered with your logos who can barely do a turn doesn’t do anything for the authenticity of your brand. Sponsor Silvana and bring some legitimacy back to your image. Trust me, you need it.

Pictured: Brasil’s Silvana Lima displays nice edge work on the final day of the Supergirl Pro.

Pre-Heat Warm-Ups
While 3.8 million people have watched Anastasia Ashley’s pre-heat warm-up on YouTube, the one I enjoyed the most was Dimity Stoyle, shown here leaping almost as high as she is tall. The explosive Australian is currently ranked 2nd on the ASP Women’s World Rankings and looks to be a solid addition to next year’s World Championship Tour. Watch Dimity surf here.

Pictured: Dimity Stoyle’s pre-heat warm-up as NOT seen on YouTube.

Malia Manuel: Supergirl
Like so many stories that were played out during the Supergirl Pro, Malia Manuel’s had a great ending as well. The 3x runner-up surfed virtually flawless heats throughout the event and used her spray-throwing backside snaps to nail down the title this year. Even through the late afternoon glare, you could see her smile a mile away as she walked onto the beach with her arms held high in the air. As the spray settled and the crowds parted, the young Hawaiian was 3,500 points stronger in the ASP Women’s World Rankings, $8,000 richer, and most importantly, the newest owner of the beloved, pink Supergirl cape.

Pictured: Malia Manuel, 2013 Ford Supergirl Pro Champion.

Final Scribbles…
While it’s impossible to mention everything, I want to thank Supergirl and all their sponsors for bringing this amazing event to Oceanside each year. Nowhere else in North America provides a venue for so many international pros and young shredders to compete on the same playing field. The Supergirl Pro gave a talented, underground, California local like Demi Boelsterli the opportunity to advance through round after round on a world stage and it provided a tiny but formidable Hawaiian 14-year-old by the name of Kahanu Delovio the chance to give people a glimpse into surfing’s future. Thank you to all the surfers who put on such amazing performances and a special congratulations to Paige Hareb, the Supergirl Pro runner-up, who ripped her way to yet another deserving Finals appearance. To the general public who came out in droves this year to support the women, you have our hearty appreciation. Along with the surfers, sponsors, lifeguards, police, event organizers, and the City of Oceanside, you made the 2013 Ford Supergirl Pro truly, truly super.

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HUNTINGTON BEACH, California/USA (Friday, August 2, 2013) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star Ford Supergirl Pro chopped the field in half on the opening day of competition, narrowing the draw down from 96 to 48 in peaky one-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Oceanside Pier.

The Ford Supergirl Pro is one of five ASP 6-Star events on the 2013 Women’s ASP Qualifying Series, drawing several of the world’s best surfers in search of crucial points towards their 2014 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) Qualification campaigns.

Keeley Andrew (AUS), 18, smashed the day’s high scores during her American debut, earning an 8.83 for a series of backhand turns followed up with a 7.60 on her forehand. The young Australian will face off against ASP WCT standout Malia Manuel (HAW), 19, in the Round of 48 and is looking forward to gaining the priceless experience that comes along with competing against the world’s best surfers.

“I paddled out wanting to catch whatever looked like it’d have half-decent potential for scores and I was able to catch that first left,” Andrew said. “It was a good start for the rest of the heat. I just want to get heat experience and surf against the world’s best. What more can you ask for?”

Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Beach, CA), 21, also started strong in her Round of 60 match up, cracking an 8.00 for one powerful forehand turn while advancing to the Round of 48. Gilchrist, a former standout on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, is looking to gain traction on the ASP Women’s Qualifying Series and is out to post a standout result at the Ford Supergirl Pro.

“It’s so tough out there, I think my backup was a 2.63, so you’ve really just got to get the waves,” Gilchrist said. “That’s what makes these contest hard, sometimes it ends up being the luck of the draw and luckily for me I got that one wave. There aren’t too many women’s events around and I’ve aged out of the Juniors so it’s been awhile since I’ve had the jersey on. I’m really excited for this contest and happy to make that first heat.”

Demi Boelsterli (Santa Barbara, CA), 23, displayed impressive endurance on the opening day of the Ford Supergirl Pro, advancing through four heats to solidify her position against the top seeds. The Santa Barbara native is carrying added confidence from today’s success and feels the conditions reminiscent of her hometown training grounds could work in her favor.

“I’m tired, but it feels good to start from the bottom and keep pushing,” Boelsterli said. “I feel confident because I’ve spent over an hour out there getting used to this new swell and it’ll be nice tomorrow. I’ve surfed against most of those girls before, so I think these mushy conditions might be an advantage to me because I surf these conditions all of the time.”

Bruna Schmitz – Photo: Chris Grant / Jettygirl.comDo a Google search for Bruna Schmitz and you’ll be wading through well over one hundred images before you get to a single photo of her surfing. This fact may be hidden from the general web searcher but her fins-free blasts are equally beautiful.

Ornella Pellizzari – Photo: Chris Grant / Jettygirl.comI’m not sure if they had jack-in-the-box toys in Argentina when she was growing up but my favorite human version is Ornella Pellizzari. By far.

Dimity Stoyle – Photo: Chris Grant / Jettygirl.comDear Surf Industry,

You missed one.

The girl on the virtually sticker-less purple board is one of the best surfers I’ve ever seen. If you don’t believe me, believe the legendary Jay Adams who I could hear whistling loudly after the first wave of her session featured a huge hook, a fins-free blast, a clean roundhouse, and a solid frontside air.

Next time you’re calculating budgets and going over pie charts for your lifestyle surfers, perhaps you can carve out a slice for a surfer who actually blows minds instead of kisses.

Kamalehua Keohokapu – Photo: Chris Grant / Jettygirl.comWhen surfing is broken down to its simplest form, the common denominator we all share is that it’s fun, pure fun. Facing an onshore closeout, this happy Hawaiian chucked her board up and jumped over the falls with an aloha-filled smile that warmed this particular photographer’s heart. At this 1/1000th of a second in world history, the true meaning of surfing was never clearer. Kamalehua Keohokapu, surfer.

Courtney Conlogue – Photo: Chris Grant / Jettygirl.comToday I was able to shoot with one of Transworld SURF’s Hottest Girls in Pro Surfing. Had I known of the honor bestowed upon her by making the list, I certainly would have offered my congratulations. Then again, when stacked up against her drive and training for a world title, her amazing painting skills, her deep love of books, her selfless desire to help out with charitable causes, and the absolutely professional way she carries out her duties as an athlete and role model, I don’t think the “hottest girl” thing would rank very high on her list of accomplishments.

Courtney Conlogue, turning heads in a way that any true surfer can appreciate, by laying down a solid turn on a solid wave.

EVENT OVERVIEW:
For the past six years, the Supergirl Jam Series has been the only large-scale all-girls action sports competition and lifestyle series. Developed as a celebration of female empowerment, the Supergirl Jam features the top female athletes in surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding competing at three events.

In 2012, the Supergirl Jam is expanding with the launch of the Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro, the ONLY 6-Star Women’s Tour Surf Contest in North America. It will feature the largest field of professional surfing talent of any event in the world with more than 80 top pros competing.

DATE:
August 9-11, 2012

VENUE
Oceanside Pier (South Side), Oceanside, California

COMPETITIONS
There are three days of surfing heats that lead to head-to-head competition between the world’s best female surfers. The event is an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star event so it offers valuable points for surfers to qualify into the Women’s Championship Tour in 2013.